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Signature Recipes
Comforting Chocolate Cakes
 These recipes come from Cafe
ZuZu in Scottsdale, AZ, which specializes in seasonal
American comfort food. Nothing could be more comforting than
these two beautiful chocolate cakes.
ZuZu’s Devils Food Chocolate Cake
By Chef Nichole Werner
Yield: Two 10” cakes (needed to make
one full devils food cake)
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2 lbs |
Sugar |
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1 lb + 2 oz |
All purpose flour |
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7-1/2 oz |
Cocoa powder |
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1-1/2 tsp |
Baking soda |
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1-1/2 tsp |
Baking powder |
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2-1/4 tsp |
Fine sea salt |
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3 each |
Eggs |
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2-1/4 |
Milk |
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9 oz (1 cup + 2 Tbsp) |
Oil |
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1 Tbsp |
Vanilla |
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2-1/4 cups |
Filtered water |
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As needed |
Vegetable cooking spray |
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1 recipe |
Fudge Icing (recipe follows) |
Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl
and mix with whip attachment until well blended.
Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; mix
with whip attachment on medium speed (speed #2) for 2
minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add
the water, and mix for 2 more minutes on #3
Spray cake pans with the cooking spray
and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Divide the batter
equally into the pans (approx. 5 ¾ c. batter per cake)
Place cakes directly on the rack of the
oven. Do not bake on a sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20
minutes; rotate then bake another 15-17 minutes, until the
center is set. You can use the toothpick method to test for
doneness. Allow to cool at room temperature before preparing
cake layers.
Building the Cake:
Cut cakes in half after cooled completely. Spoon a cup of
icing on each layer, spreading around to the edges. Repeat
till you have iced all 4 layers. Then ice a thin layer of
icing all over the cake (this is called a crumb coat) and
chill for about 20 minutes.
Lastly, top with another cup of icing
and smooth over the top and sides. Finishing with an upwards
swooping motion up the sides and swirling with an offset
spatula on the top of the cake.
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Fudge Icing |
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1 lb +12 oz |
Butter, room temperature |
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3 lbs + 7-1/2 oz |
Powdered sugar, sifted |
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9-1/2 oz |
Cocoa powder, sifted |
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¾ cup
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Milk |
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1/4 cup |
Vanilla extract |
On the lowest speed, mix the butter,
sugar and cocoa until blended. On medium speed, cream until
fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the
milk and vanilla and continue to mix until evenly blended
Deceivably Decadent Chocolate Cake
Serves 8 - 10
As needed
Vegetable cooking spray
3/4 cup
Pastry or cake flour, plus a pinch more for dust
1/3 cup
Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp
Baking powder
2 Tbsp
Unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup
Light brown sugar, packed
3 Large
Egg whites
1 Large
Egg
1 cup
Plain non-fat yogurt
1 tsp
Pure vanilla extract
1 oz
Semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp
Skim milk
1 cup
Assorted berries
As needed
Mint sprigs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8-inch square (or any fun shape) cake pan
with the cooking spray and dust lightly with flour. In a
medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, and baking powder.
In a separate bowl, combine the butter
and sugar. Beat in the egg whites, egg, yogurt and vanilla.
Gradually beat in the flour mixture until incorporated. Pour
the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40
minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes
out clean. Allow to cool in the pan.
Meanwhile, combine chocolate and milk
in a small bowl. Place in a saucepan with barely simmering
water to melt. Allow to cool slightly.
Invert the cake onto a platter, and
spread with the melted chocolate. Cut the cake into squares;
garnish with berries and mint.
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